Thursday, April 14, 2011

Stressed is Desserts spelled backwards and gives you WRINKLES and a Small Brain

For instance.....Wrinkles
When you live in a chronic state of stress, you are constantly producing the hormone cortisol , which is responsible forweight gain, high blood pressure and collagen breakdown, among other things. This makes it harder for the skin to repair itself naturally, continue to form healthy collagen and elastin, and deal with damage. You can decrease your levels of cortisol and reverse this damage by getting lots of restful sleep and exercise. CLICK here for link to the Full Article on Stress and Beauty

Doggonit.... it seems to always come down to ... "EXERCISE and a GOOD NIGHT SLEEP"

Two things that are such a challenge in life for most of us.

Chronic stress constricts blood flow to the brain which

lowers overall brain function and prematurely ages your brain.

Just think about what you hold in your head?

Your choice

A series of studies published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology looked at long-term exposure to stress hormones, especially cortisol, and it's effect on the brain function in people of varying age groups.

The research showed that older adults with continuously high levels of cortisol performed worse on memory tests than older adults with moderate to low cortisol levels.

The older adults with highcortisollevels also had a 14 percent smaller hippocampus, the area of the temporal lobes involved with memory.

The hippocampus is part of the stress response system and is responsible for sending out signals to halt the production of cortisol once a threat has banished. But when the number of brain cells in the hippocampus is depleted, it no longer sends out this signal, which results in the release of even greater amounts of cortisol.

Dr Amen also discussed how you will look older due to chronic stress in his book, Change your Brain Change your Body.

"Stress causes collagen and elastin to break down prematurely, which leads to sagging skin and wrinkles.

The Psychological Bulletin in a 2004 issue, published findings from a thorough review of nearly 300 scientific studies linking chronic stress and the immune system. It showed incontrovertible evidence that stress causes changes in the immune system. Yet, short-term stress temporarily boosts immunity,but chronic stress weakens the immune system making people more vulnerable to common ailments and serious disease.

People are seldom taught STRESS-MANAGEMENT SKILLS.

However, if we choose to truly balance ourselves and take time and attention to feed and exercise our spiritual being then ... we can cultivate the strategies from our Spiritual storehouse to handle Stressors in our life.

We then reinforce those strategies in our minds (thought life)

and

We then work through them in the choices we make Physically (exercise and food choices)

Physically, Mentally and Spiritually address Stress

This is HUGE to me...

Recognizing and facing stressors in a positive, take charge manner ....

It is true we can't stop stress from happening around us and to us

BUT, we can manage it

instead of it managing us

How?

Exercise, Good Nutrition, Healthy Thoughts, Spiritual Food

Too simple?

Think about it! Did I mention that it is FREE!

Exercise: You can do push ups, jumping jacks, stretches ...... all at home NO GYM MEMBERSHIP NEEDED so stop with the excuses! Run around the block! Go, do it... stop being lazy

Good Nutrition :You're going to EAT so make the right choices with food full of fiber, color and nutritional value and actually eat O N E "serving" portion (read the label for how much is a serving portion for what you're eating... it'll surprise you)

Healthy Thoughts:. No cost in "changing habits" (unlike changing your wardrobe) it takes determination and self examination to put your thoughts in check when you're thinking or talking... Make your WORDS POSITIVE when your talking to other's or yourself. TAKE the NEGATIVE words out of your mouth and mind!

Spiritual Food: No cost to READ the BIBLE and Talk with GOD. Unlike the cost of a counselor or psychiatrist all the Answers to life are in YOUR CREATORS INSTRUCTION MANUAL!

So, give yourself a break....

prevent wrinkles and a shrinking brain.....

prevent a large waist line

prevent illness's and diseases

by facing your fears (stressors) the "balanced way"

Physically

Mentally

Spiritually

1 Peter 5:7

Casting the whole of your care,

all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns,

once and for all

on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

About Me

Born in San Diego, CA into a large "Pentecostal" Sicilian Family. Raise by amazing Parents and had three Sisters. Married, blessed with three fabulous Children. Widowed and experienced going to college to earn a BSN In Nursing. Worked as a Registered Nurse while raising children as a Single Mom. Re-Married and blessed with a blended family of 6 adult kids and fourteen Brilliant Grandchildren. This blog of my personal journey for Health and Wellness is dedicated to my BIG FAMILY whom I love. As my Wise dearly departed Father would say "It's all about the Family".